How To Eat Healthy on a Low-Fiber Diet

Calling all low-fiber friends! Wondering how to eat healthy on a low fiber diet? Ready to banish the bland? If your stomach doesn’t get along well with fiber, this is for you.

“Healthy” and “low-fiber” may seem like contradictory terms, but they don’t have to be. It’s true that it can be tricky to make low fiber food choices without skimping on nutrients. But, just because you’re on a low-fiber diet doesn’t mean you’re doomed to a lifetime of eating processed foods! If your doctor has recommended a low-fiber diet, know that it can still be possible to eat nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables. These five tips will help you create a healthy low-fiber diet that keeps both you and your stomach feeling your best.

What is Low Fiber?

For those who aren’t familiar, a few of the most common instances where a low-fiber diet may be beneficial are:

• IBS-D (diarrhea-predominant IBS)
• Acute IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) flare-up
• Gastroparesis
• Chronic nausea
• Post- diverticulitis or other acute gastrointestinal illness

These stomachs generally don’t do well with fiber. Fiber is hard to digest, which is exactly the reason why it’s good for most people. However, when your digestive system is already too slow or too fast it can make things worse. Worse digestion, worse absorption, worse discomfort. If you’re one of these people, you know what I mean! An innocent side salad…not so innocent.

So what exactly is “low” fiber, you ask? Well, technically anything under 25 grams per day (the recommended minimum for the average adult) could be considered “low”. The exact quantity and type of fiber you should eat depends on your specific circumstances and what your doctor recommends. I consider 10-15 grams per day to be moderately low and less than 10 grams per day to be very low. But, it’s always safest to follow your doctor or dietitian’s guidelines since your personal version of “low” fiber may be different.

You’re Not Alone

I’ve struggled with delayed gastric emptying, a mild version of gastroparesis, several times over the past few years. Most notably during the third trimester of my recent pregnancy. My digestive system significantly slowed down, so everything I ate took forever (or what felt like forever) to digest. Constant fullness, nausea, waking up in the middle of the night to vomit my lunch. Yuck. And to compound the frustration, all the nutritious high-fiber foods that I always loved (greens, quinoa, carrots, you name it) made me feel the worst.

I had to accept that a high-fiber diet just wasn’t healthy for me at that time. When the food you eat makes you feel bad, it’s no longer healthy for YOU. And if low fiber is what your digestive system needs to function best, that’s okay. I do believe that you can still eat vibrant foods and feel good even with a fiber restriction! If you’re wondering how exactly to do this, read on my friend!

Build Your Own Healthy Low-Fiber Diet

I’ve laid out five easy steps for building low-fiber meals and snacks that are still nutritious and varied. I’ve also included a sample meal plan below to show you how to put the tips into practice.

1. Center your meals and snacks around high-quality protein foods

Good news! Most protein foods contain zero fiber, but provide plenty of other nutrients that your body needs (like omega-3 fatty acids, choline, B Vitamins, and more). Keep in mind that leaner, soft-cooked meats are generally easier to digest, so be cautious with red meat if you have digestive challenges.

Good choices:

Meat: 0 g fiber
Eggs: 0 g fiber
Fish: 0 g fiber
Dairy (milk, yogurt, kefir): 0 g fiber

Beware of:

Beans

2. Pick 1-2 low-fiber fruits

While most fruits are high in fiber, it is possible to include 1-2 servings of fruit each day as long as you choose the right varieties. There are plenty of colorful, lower fiber fruits that are still packed with nutrients such as potassium, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A. If you absolutely must have a fruit that’s not on this list, one trick is to peel the skin to reduce the fiber content. Stewing fruits until they are soft cooked can also help with digestion.

Good choices:

Banana: 3 g fiber in 1 medium
Orange: 3 g fiber in 1 medium
Mango: 2.5 g fiber in 1 cup slices
Grapes: 1.5 g fiber in 1 cup
Cantaloupe: 1.5 g fiber in 1 cup diced

Beware of:

Fruits with a thick skin (ex: apples and pears) or seeds (ex: berries and kiwi)

3. Pick 2-3 low-fiber vegetables

Vegetables are nutrient powerhouses, and choosing wisely means you won’t have to miss out on their benefits! Pick 2-3 servings of low-fiber vegetables per day, and don’t forget to keep portion size in mind. If you eat a large portion of a low-fiber vegetable you can accidentally end up with a high-fiber meal. Cooking vegetables also increases digestibility.

Good choices:

Tomatoes: 1.8 g fiber in 1 cup cherry tomatoes
Zucchini: 2 g fiber in 1 medium
Cauliflower: 1.5 g fiber in 1/2 cup pieces
Cucumber: 0.3 g fiber in 1/2 cup (peeled) slices
Beets: 2 g fiber in 2 cooked (peeled) beets

Beware of:

Carrots, leafy greens, peas, corn

4. Keep your refined carbohydrate portions small

It may be necessary to include a few small servings of refined carbohydrates each day in order to meet your body’s carbohydrate needs. Do keep an eye on your portion sizes though, since these foods tend to be higher in calories and lower in important nutrients.

Good choices:

White rice: 0.5 g fiber in 1 cup cooked
White potato: 3 g fiber in 1 medium (peeled)
White breads: 1 g fiber in 1 slice
Pasta: 2 g fiber in 1 cup penne

Beware of:

Sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa and other whole grains

5. Choose healthy fats

When you’re on a restricted diet, your goal should be to get the biggest nutritional “bang for your buck” for each food you CAN eat. For example, choose fat sources that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (like olive oil or hemp seeds) for their anti-inflammatory properties. Keep in mind that high-fat foods can be harder to digest, so moderation is key.

Good choices:

Olive oil: 0 g fiber
Canola oil: 0 g fiber
Flaxseed oil: 0 g  fiber
Peanut butter or powdered peanut butter: 2 g fiber per 2 tablespoons
Hulled hemp seeds: 3 g fiber per 3 tablespoons

Beware of:

Avocado, whole nuts and seeds, whole or ground flaxseeds, chia seeds

Note: this is not an exhaustive list of ALL low-fiber foods! You can easily continue the search yourself if there’s a particular food you’re wondering about. A general rule of thumb is to choose foods with less than 2-3 grams of fiber per serving.

Sample Meal Plan

Here’s a glimpse of what a typical day might look like on a restricted fiber diet. Hopefully this shows you that eating low fiber can still be colorful and delicious! In total, this meal plan contains 12.5 g of fiber, and can be easily adjusted using the tips above to meet your individual fiber needs.

Breakfast: 1 g fiber

2 scrambled eggs
2 slices deli ham
1 English muffin

Snack: 1.5 g fiber

1 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1/2 cup sliced banana

Lunch: 5 g fiber

“Pasta Primavera”
1 cup penne pasta with 2 tablespoons pesto
4oz baked chicken breast
1 cup sauteed zucchini

Snack: 1.5 g fiber

2 apple cinnamon rice cakes
1 tablespoon peanut butter

Dinner: 3.5 g fiber

6oz fish cooked with seasoning of your choice
3/4 cup white rice
1 cup cucumber and tomato salad (made with: tomatoes, peeled cucumber, and vinaigrette)
1/2 cup mango sorbet

Nutrient Analysis:

1,650 calories, 120 g protein, 195 g carbohydrates, 43 g fat, 2,300 mg sodium, 12.5 g fiber

 

Sources

• Vanhauwaert, E et al. Low-residue and low-fiber diets in gastrointestinal disease management. Adv Nutr. 2015 Nov; 6(6): 820–827. Access here.
• USDA Food Composition Database

*Always follow your doctor and/or dietitian’s recommendations. This is general information about a low-fiber diet and is not intended to diagnose or treat gastrointestinal conditions. Please see my full disclaimer.